1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a display system, which displays information obtained from a communications network, such as World Wide Web, and a method for displaying such information.
2. Description of Related Art
The World Wide Web users can communicate with a variety of host computers in World Wide Web through a host computer (information provider) offered by a provider. Recently, many virtual shops are formed in World Wide Web. Users can buy goods by mail-order through World Wide Web. Programs and data are also sold through World Wide Web. User can pay for the goods by the credit card by transmitting the credit card number and the expiration date.
However, information is transferred through many host computers in World Wide Web, and the security for the information is poor. Especially, when transmitting the credit card number and the expiration date through World Wide Web, such information can be misused, which is undesirable to the user. Therefore, this invention aims to solve the problem and to provide a terminal, information provider, system and recording medium, which allow safe payment in mail-order business through a computer communications network.
To overcome the above issue, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a terminal has a browser for communicating with World Wide Web, and a message viewer for communicating with a private network. The browser includes means for ordering goods from a host computer connected to World Wide Web, means for receiving a bill for the goods from World Wide Web, and means for transmitting the bill to the message viewer. The message viewer pays the bill through the private network.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the message viewer further includes means for receiving information indicative of payment completion from the private network. The message viewer transmits the information indicative of payment completion to the browser. The browser notifies the host computer of the payment completion through World Wide Web.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the terminal has a browser for communicating with World Wide Web, and a message viewer for communicating with a private network. The message viewer orders goods through a private network and receives a bill for the goods from the private network. The message viewer pays the bill through the private network and transmits the information that the order and the payment have been completed to the browser. The browser notifies World Wide Web of the completion of the order and the payment.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the message viewer transmits a credit card number and an expiration date of the terminal user to the private network during the payment.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the information provider has a gateway through which a terminal accesses World Wide Web, a connection manager for managing the communication which is conducted through the gateway, and a message manager connected to a payment system for paying through a private line. The gateway transmits goods order input through the terminal to a host computer connected to World Wide Web and transmits a bill for the goods from the host computer to the terminal through World Wide Web. The message manager includes request means for requesting through the private line the payment system to pay the bill.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the message manager receives information indicative of payment completion from the payment system. The gateway notifies the host computer of the payment completion through World Wide Web.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the information provider has a gateway through which a terminal accesses World Wide Web, a connection manager for managing the communication which is conducted through the gateway, and a message manager connected to a payment system for paying through a private line. The message manager transmits goods order, which was input through the terminal, to the payment system, transmits a bill for the goods from the payment system to the terminal, and requests the payment system through the private line to pay the bill. The message manager receives information indicative of payment completion from the payment system. The gateway notifies the host computer of the payment completion through World Wide Web.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the message manager transmits the payment completion to the connection manager. The connection manager makes the World Wide Web gateway notify the host computer of the payment completion.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the information provider transmits the credit card number and the expiration date of the terminal user to the payment system.
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, a system executes payment for goods ordered through World Wide Web by a user of a terminal. The system has a user database for storing the credit card number and the expiration date owned by the user in advance, an interface for connecting to a private network (closed network) which executes payment by credit card.
The system connects to the terminal using a private network, and receives information indicative of a paying request, the amount of payment and the store dealing in the goods from the terminal through the private network. The system also receives the credit card number and the expiration date from the user database and transmits the information indicative of the amount of payment and the store dealing in the goods, together with the credit card number and the expiration date. The system receives information indicative of that the credit card has been verified.
According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, a system executes payment for goods ordered by a user of a terminal through a network. The system has a user database for storing the credit card number and the expiration date owned by the user in advance. The system also has an interface for connecting to a private network (closed network) which executes payment by credit card. The system connects to the terminal using a private network, and receives from the terminal, through the private network, an order for the goods to the store which is dealing in the goods. The system also transmits a bill for the order to the terminal through the private network and receives a confirmation about the bill from the terminal through the private network. The system reads out the credit card number and the expiration date from the user database, and receives information indicative of that the credit card has been verified from the private network.
According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the system further has a store database for storing a goods store name, in association with the connection address of the host computer of the store. The system reads out the connection address of the host computer, which is identified by the store name, from the store database, and connects to the host computer using the connection address through the private line. The system notifies the host computer of the information indicative of that the credit card has been verified through the private line.
According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the recording medium stores a program, which works on a CPU of a terminal connected to a public network. The program includes a browser module for causing CPU to communicate with World Wide Web, and a message viewer module for causing CPU to communicate with a private network. The browser module causes CPU to give an order for goods to a host computer connected to World Wide Web, causes CPU to receive a bill for the goods from World Wide Web, and causes CPU to transmit the bill to the message viewer. The message viewer module causes CPU to execute payment for the goods using the private network.
According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the message viewer module further causes CPU to receive information indicative of payment completion from the private network, and causes CPU to transmit the payment completion to the browser module. The browser module further causes CPU to notify the host computer of the payment completion through World Wide Web.
According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the program comprises a browser module for causing CPU to communicate with World Wide Web, and a message viewer module for causing CPU to communicate with a private network. The message viewer module causes CPU to give an order for goods to the private network, and causes CPU to receive a bill for the goods from the private network. The message viewer also causes CPU to execute payment for the goods through the private network and causes CPU to indicate that the order and the payment have been completed to the browser. The browser module causes CPU to notify World Wide Web of the completion of the order and the payment.
According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the message viewer module causes CPU to transmit the credit card number and the expiration date of the terminal user to the private network during the payment process.